APPRECIATION: WINDOWS WHEN CERTAIN JOKES WORK

The funniest thing I have ever done was shake a half-full water bottle. This was my son’s first laugh. For a few weeks this was the funniest thing in his world. I tried this in front of a class full of seniors, and they didn’t laugh at all. Peek-a-Boo works because the recipient of the Boo and the Peek believes that you disappear, and when you reappear their whole world is back to how it was.  I love stages when certain jokes work.

As a teenager, I loved the movie Dumb and Dumber. I might watch it for nostalgic purposes today, but I don’t think I could struggle through the sequel that came out last year. Sometimes I will try the same story, or joke, or example with all my English classes. Each grade has a different reaction.

A few months ago I experienced a torturous hour when the sophomore class of my school all discovered puns and pickup lines. They were giddy with excitement. I wondered if part of it was the belief that these were the keys to unlocking relationships, that the lines would actually work. The freshmen class didn’t get them when the sophomores shared them. The seniors were annoyed, and the juniors were stuck between two different worlds.

Right now, one of my son’s favorite things is to type things on a typewriter and then ask me to read what it says. He will type: sdufhdsufhdospihfposdihoierqwuoiewruoicvln and I will try to read it as best as I can. He laughs and laughs.

Right now, one of my favorite things to do is to pretend to leave the house without pants or a shirt or shoes. I get ready to leave for school in the morning and ask how I look. “You don’t have a shirt!” They laugh and laugh. I know this window will close. My guess is soon.

When does it stop being funny for your dad to pretend to leave the house without pants on? I don’t know, but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.